A Wonderful Game
by Insanity-5pak
Summary: This is a Harvest Moon meets Saw fanfic. No character from Saw is in this fic. The situations are just the same. FINISHED! THE GAME IS OVER! Please R&R and enjoy.
1. The game begins

Disclaimer: I do not own rights to Harvest Moon or any of the character within it. Any quotes from Saw or Saw II are purely coincidental but just to be safe; no I don't own rights to Saw, Saw II or anything related to it.

A Wonderful Game

Jack opened his eyes and slowly sat up. His head felt like it was split open. What had happened? He looked around and saw that he was in his house. It was night out. He looked around and saw Cliff lying on the floor near him. Jack went over and shook his friend saying, "Hey Cliff, you ok man?"

Cliff sat up, and coughed. He looked around and said, "Jack? What's going on? Ah, I feel like I've been hit by a truck."

"I don't know what's going on", Jack replied, "I just woke up, too."

Jack looked around the house, trying to figure out what was going on. He noticed his tool box was open and empty. Then he saw a piece of paper on the table.

Jack walked over toward the table. As he walked, he heard a creak in the floor that hadn't been there before, but he took no notice of it. He picked up the paper and looked at it. On the top of the page was his name. Cliff came over and said, "What's that?"

"It looks like a letter." Jack replied. The two began to read it.

"Hello Jack. I'm sure you're wondering what is going on. Well, let's just call this, a test. You say that you provide for this town and keep it going, but what do you take from it Jack? After all, you don't work for free right? Are you a truly worthy provider for this town, Jack? We shall see. There is a message for Cliff in this house, but I'm sure you've already heard of it. Remember Jack, not all riddles end with a question mark."

"What the heck does that mean?" Cliff said.

"I'm not sure," Jack replied. He wondered what was going on. He decided to take everything one step at a time. Obviously someone was playing a game with them; they just had to figure out what to do next.

"Cliff, I think I understand one part of the letter. The thing about hearing a message for you. When I walked over here to get this letter I heard the floor creak. It's never done that before, so I think that's what he's talking about."

Cliff shrugged his shoulders and said, "Well, let's find out."

Jack went over to where the floor creaked and checked the boards. Sure enough, one of them was loose and he pulled it up. In the hole Jack found another letter with Cliff's name on it, and his axe. He handed the letter to Cliff and said, "Let's read it."

"Greeting Cliff, I trust you are… well. I have taken the liberty of doing all your work for you and preparing this simple task to help you. All the time you have been here in this town, you have seen many of its secrets. But you either choose to ignore the truth or are too blind to see it. Either way, I will help open your eyes, even if I have to rip them open. The axe you found is a key to both salvation and destruction. How much of yourself will you give to save another? Soon you will choose. Oh, and merry Christmas."

Jack and Cliff looked at one another. They both understood. They were trapped in someone's sick little game.


	2. Rearranged

Note: Forgot to mention, this is a Friends of Mineral Town fic. Sorry.

Chapter 2:

Rearranged

"What are we suppose to do?" Cliff said.

Jack shook his head. "I don't really know. All I can tell is that someone is messing with our heads. These letters he sent us, they must have some message in them, like when mine told us about your letter. So, we need to find out what the message is telling us to do."

Cliff nodded in agreement. "Right. Ok, one of us should look over the messages. I'll do it. But you should probably look around the house for more clues."

Jack agreed and gave Cliff his letter. While Cliff sat at the table looking over the letters, Jack walked around the room looking for some other clue. As he examined the book case he said to Cliff, "What do you think he means by 'secrets of the town'?"

"I'm not sure. I'm apparently too blind to see the truth, huh Jack?"

"Guess so." Jack responded, chuckling. He noticed that his books were all out of order. He had them in a specific order, but now they were in alphabetic order. Jack scanned down the shelf looking for something when he saw a book that was out of order. It was a journal of the old man who once lived here. All the other journals were at the top of the shelf. Jack took the book out and opened it to find that all the pages had been torn out. All that is, expect one. Jack glanced over the page that was left, but saw nothing strange about it. The old man simply wrote about an average day on the farm. He watered the plants, spoke with the old mailman, who was long gone, feed his cows, and had a conversation with Lillian about an order of chicken feed he had placed. Jack didn't see anything out of the ordinary, but he ripped the page out of the book and put it in his pack, just to be safe.

At this time Cliff said, "Hey Jack, I think I've figured something out. Right here at the end of my letter it says merry Christmas. Kind of weird to end a message like this with a holiday greeting you know? I think he's directing us to the Inn. There's that huge Christmas tree there, and you and I usually go there around the holidays. He must want us to go there."

Jack agreed and said, "Alright then we'll go to the Inn, but first we've got to get out of here."

The two walked over to the door and Jack checked the lock. To the two friends shock, the door wasn't locked at all. Jack opened the door, letting a cool breeze flow in. The calm, peaceful night was the exact opposite of what the two men felt in their hearts. It was time to go.


	3. A Night on the Town

Chapter 3

A Night on the Town

The two men exited the house. Jack looked around the farm. Some of his crops were missing, and he could here no animals in the barn or chicken house. Aside from that everything seemed normal.

Cliff spoke up and said, "Funny, a quite, calm night, and we're in the middle of what may turn into a fight for our lives."

Jack nodded, unsure of what to say. He was confused and frustrated. Why would any one do this to them? Maybe it was all a prank. No, it was too well thought out. Someone had planned this.

"Come on Cliff, let's go. Be careful." Jack said, brandishing his axe. The two started their walk towards the Inn. They walked slowly, watching for any movement in the shadows. As they past the first street in town, Jack heard something.

"Stop." He said, holding up his hand.

"What, what is it?" Cliff questioned.

Jack listened carefully. There! There it was again. The sound of someone yelling. Sound didn't escape these houses very well, and you'd have to be yelling to be heard this far away, but there was no doubt about it. Someone was screaming at the blacksmith shop.

Cliff seemed to hear it too and said, "Crap, this isn't good. Jack, what if everyone is in the same situation as us, or worse?"

Jack couldn't just leave everyone like this, he had to help them. "Come on! No one gets left behind, right?"

"Right!"

As they ran to the door of the blacksmith, Cliff saw something out of the corner of his eye. Shock spread over his face as he walked closer to the object.

Meanwhile Jack was trying to open the door to the blacksmith's shop, but it was locked. He could hear screaming, Grey's screaming, coming from within.

Jack shouted, "Cliff get over here! Hold on ok Grey, we'll help you.

From within the building Grey's cries could be heard, "Aaaah, God, it hurts! Aah someone help me! Jack help me! Aaaah!"

Jack began to hack at the door, only to find that the door was tougher than he thought. He whirled around and shouted, "Cliff, get the frig over here and help me!"

Cliff, who had been staring at a tree until now, turned with a strange look on his face and said, "Jack look at this."

Jack rushed over, getting ready to snap at Cliff for not helping him, then saw what Cliff was looking at. A rag doll was nailed to a tree by a pitchfork. Stapled to the doll was a folded piece of paper that had a name on it. "Grey". But the doll it was nailed to resembled someone else. It resembled Cliff.

Jack looked at Cliff and said, "We have no time to worry about this, we have to go. Grab the pitchfork and everything, and help me with this door."

Cliff yanked the pitchfork out of the tree and turned towards the door. With a "Stand clear." Cliff charged the door, and slammed the fork into it. The door buckled and gave way against Cliff's strength. Jack picked up the note, and looked over the doll during this, but didn't see any reason to keep it. Putting the note in his pocket he rushed to the now open door, and, standing next to Cliff, looked into the shop. They could not have imagined the scene they beheld.


	4. Forging Ahead

Chapter 4

Forging Ahead

Jack and Cliff couldn't believe what was in front of them. Inside the blacksmith shop was a forge. And right now, an intense fire was blazing within it. Lying on the floor near the forge was Grey. His face was contorted in pain. Attached to Grey's ankles were chains, and those chains were red hot. Grey's chains were attached inside the forge, and the metal had grown scalding hot, and was burning Grey's ankles. Grey looked up at the two and shouted, "Don't stand there like a couple of idiots, help me!"

Jack rushed over to Grey and examined the chains. His axe couldn't break them, nor could the pitchfork. They needed another solution.

"Grey what can we use to cut these chains?" Cliff asked.

Straining, Grey said, "There's a saw that can cut metal, somewhere in here. Find it and hurry."

As Cliff went about looking for the saw, Jack opened Grey's letter and said, "This letter is for you Grey. Trust me, it'll probably help us get you out." Jack began to read.

"Hello Grey. I'm sure that you feel very uncomfortable right now, but don't worry I have a remedy to your problem. For years now, you've complained that your guardian cares nothing of you, and despises you. Now however you will learn a lesson in human kindness. The chains attached to your legs can't be cut by your saw except in one spot. The weakest link in the chain is inside the forge. In order to cut it, you will have to have someone reach into the fires and cut the chain. I would suggest Cliff as a worthy person for this task. One hint: don't use water. Electricity and water don't mix. Now you will see if anyone cares for you."

Jack looked up at Cliff, who was now standing near by with the saw. With all eyes upon him, Cliff knew he had to choose. Cut the chain or leave Grey to lose the ability to walk, and escape.

Cliff walked over to the forge and readied himself. No one said a word. Grey couldn't watch his friend do this to himself. Cliff plunged his hands into the forge and grabbed the chain and began to saw at the link furthest in the forge. He screamed loudly as the intense heat licked his arms, his flesh melting. Tears began to roll down his face as the pain became too much. But he continued to saw.

Jack and Grey then began to pull the other end of the chain. Finally the chain snapped and Cliff ripped his hands out of the forge. Jack quickly found a bucket of water near by, and brought it over. Cliff plunged his hands into the water, panting. It was over. He had passed the test.

After helping cool off the chains on Grey's feet, which were no longer electrically charged, they looked for a way to cut off the chains completely. However Grey quickly noticed something odd. All of the tools were scattered everywhere. He looked in the tool box, and found a piece of paper.

"Hey guys, check this out," Grey said. Jack and Cliff stepped over to him and looked at the note. The front read "Next".

Jack said, "Open it."

"Greetings gentlemen, I hope you are all safe and sound. Don't think that this test is over yet. It has only begun. More pain and agony will follow. But fear not. For there is always a way out. If you are willing, you shall make it. Just remember, while there may be rewards in heaven, there are still some on Earth. But even those who deserve them will not always receive them. The past and the present shall soon collide and alter your future. Are you prepared to face this? Reading strengthens the mind, but not the body. Soon you shall reap what you have sown."

Standing there, charred and burned, the three friends had found either a clue to their salvation, or a direction to their destruction.


	5. The Head of the Family

Chapter 5

The Head of the Family

Rick opened his eyes, his vision slowly returning to him. He felt a very heavy object resting on his shoulders. He tried to look down, and saw the edge of the object. Using his hands, Rick managed to feel what the object was. It was like the upper part of some suit of armor. A very thick, large collar was around his neck, and his shoulders and the upper part of his chest were covered by the object. He tried to stand only to realize that something was attached to the device and held him down. Rick was sitting on the couch in his family's living room. On the table in front of him was a piece of paper with his name on it. He reached forward and opened the paper. It was a letter.

"Hello Rick. You may be wondering what is going on, and I shall tell you. You claim yourself the head of the house since your father is gone. And yet at times you act like a dictator. You wish to control your sister's life, and even your mother's, and proclaim yourself as just and good for doing so. Now however your head is on the line. The device around your neck is like a modern guillotine. When you break the line attached to it, a timer will begin. Once the time is up, you will lose your head. There are two keys in the house, both exactly alike. You only need one key to open the device and escape. However the keys are buried inside your mother and sister. If you wish to live, you will have to cut one of them open and get the key. But remember Rick, you always have more than one option. Use your head, lose your head. Make your choice."

Rick couldn't believe this. How could this happen? He had to find someone, his sister, his mom, anyone.

"Popuri! Mom! Where are you?" Rick began shouted for them. From the upstairs bedroom, he heard a voice, Popuri's voice, "Rick? Rick please, help!"

Rick couldn't waste any time. He stood up and yanked at the string. When it broke he heard a clock begin ticking. He didn't know how long he had but he quickly ran upstairs and went into Popuri's room.

Inside the room, on her bed was Popuri. However she was trapped because a blanket of barbed wire was covering her. The wire wrapped around the bed and underneath it, was twisted into one strand and went into a hole in the floor. Rick rushed to Popuri, seeing that she had already gotten a few cuts and scratches.

"Popuri, are you ok?" Rick asked. Popuri, unable to speak at the site of her brother wearing that device, shook her head. Rick quickly looked for a way to get her untangled, but he could not remove the wires or cut them. Rick noticed a spot on Popuri's dress that had been cut out in the shape of a key. It was over her heart. Rick was running out of time, but he had to find and help his mom as well.

"Popuri, I promise I'll be back. Just hold on." Rick said trying to reassure his sister. He turned and walked out the door. However a string of some kind caught his foot and tripped him. He wasn't hurt, but he looked up to realize with horror that he had activated something. The wires covering Popuri were slowly being pulled into the floor, tightening around her body. Panic was in her eyes, as she looked at Rick for help. Rick stood up and began to rush around the room, looking for a shut off switch or something. He found a piece of paper with Popuri's name on it lying on the floor, but discarded it as a useless love letter from Kai. For minutes on end Rick ran around the room, upturning everything to try and find something to stop the device, while Popuri began to scream louder and louder as the wire became tighter. Finally Rick slammed his fist into the wall out of frustration and screamed, "What am I suppose to do?" However he noticed written on the wall, in small letters, the word "off/on".

Rick wasted no time. He took an old walking stick from Popuri's closet and smashed in the wall. There he found a lever. He quickly pulled the down on the lever, causing the wires to loosen and come out of the floor completely, freeing Popuri. However she had lost a large amount of blood, and needed help soon. Rick then realized someone else in the house was shouting. His mother's voice was coming from the kitchen; he hadn't heard her until now. Rick also heard the front door bust open. As Rick began to run down the stairs however, he heard an alarm go off in the device around his neck. In the next instance he felt incredible pain in his neck, and his body went numb. He had run out of time.


	6. Secret Sin

Chapter 6

Secret Sin

The three men walked out of the blacksmith shop. Jack looked up and down the street, trying to decide what to do now. He had come to a conclusion and needed to see Lillian. Cliff spoke up, "So, we heading to the Inn or what?"

Jack shook his head and said, "No, I need to see about something. You two head for the Inn, I'm going to the poultry farm first. I'll cut through the square and then meet back up with you guys at the Inn, ok? Just be careful. Oh, and check the vineyard on your way there, see what's going on."

Cliff and Grey nodded and started towards the Inn, while Jack went in the other direction. As he walked down the street, a horrid smell filled the air. When he arrived at the poultry farm, he saw what was causing the smell. All of the chickens had been killed and thrown all over the yard. Blood was on all of the buildings, and covered the ground. It was a sickening site. Jack waded through the sea of birds and came to the door to the house. Jack tried the door but it was locked. Luckily, this door was made from weaker material than the blacksmith shop. With just a few swings of his axe, Jack made a way in. As he came in however, he could here someone in the kitchen. It was Lillian, and she sounded hysterical. Jack rushed through the kitchen door and saw Lillian. She was bent over the counter, but something was in front of her. Her hands were laid out in front of her, palms up, and locked in a strange looking device. Attached to the device were two carving knives, both cutting at full speed. They were slowly making their way towards Lillian's wrists. In all, Lillian's restraints were like some sort of guillotine for your hands. Jack wasted no time and came forward and smashed the guillotine in just a few seconds. He then carefully freed Lillian from her restraints.

When freed Lillian said, "Thank you so much Jack. But where are Rick and Popuri. I heard them upstairs before you came, but now…" Lillian stopped, terror and panic filling her eyes. Before Jack could respond, she bolted for the door and made her way up the stairs. However she stopped near the top and then fell to her knees, sobbing. Jack made his way up the stairs, and went to the top. There he saw a horribly gruesome scene. In the door way to the upstairs room laid Rick. Or his head at least. About a foot of air separated his head from his body. A large pool of blood stained the carpet around him. At the other end of the room, was Popuri. She was lying on her bed, covered by barbed wire. Her body was badly cut up, and the bed was coated in blood. Jack carefully stepped over Rick and walked to Popuri's bedside. Lillian, still crying, came over and stood next to Popuri too. Jack could tell she was alive, but if they didn't get her help quick, she would die of blood loss.

"We need to stop the bleeding," Jack said, quickly gathering articles of Popuri's clothing to wrap her up in. Lillian stroked Popuri's hair and whispered to her, "Please hang on Popuri. We'll get you out of here, so please hang on."

Jack began to dress Popuri's numerous wounds. As he worked he asked Lillian, "Say maybe you can help me with something."

Lillian looked up, slightly confused, and said, "What?"

"Well you see, earlier today, I found a page in the old man's journal. You know, the one who owned the farm? Apparently this page was a clue to something. Well later, I received a note telling me about the past and present colliding. That journal entry represented the past, and the only thing mentioned in that is still here is… you. Everyone in town is being "tested", but everyone has a reason for being tested. Someone has planned this out Lillian. And I think that the journal entry is a clue to why you are being tested Lillian. Tell me, what relationship did you have with the old man?" Jack questioned, eyeing her suspiciously.

Shock spread over Lillian's face, but it quickly disappeared. "Well I guess I can't hide it. You see Jack, when I was engaged to Popuri's father, I was under a lot of pressure. I went to the bar one night and began to drink. Now, back then the old man wasn't quite so old, and was a rather good looking fellow. Well, as fate would have it, both he and I had too many drinks, and one thing led to another and well, I slept with him."

Jack hadn't seen this coming. "You slept with him!"

Lillian nodded her head, "Yes, I never told anyone about it. Looks like it didn't do me any good though."

Jack finished his work, stood and said, "Ok, I think we should leave Popuri here. She's safe so long as she doesn't mess with anything, and she would just be in more danger if we took her with us. Now I'm going to go down to the ranch at the end of the road, but if you want Lillian, you can stay here with Popuri."

Lillian looked at her daughter and at the remains of her son and shook her head, "No, I don't want anyone to go through this like I have. I'll help you."

Jack nodded his head, and then Jack took Rick's body out of the room. As they left Jack said, "Oh, uh, sorry about the door."

Lillian chuckled and replied, "Oh it's quite alright."


	7. Marital Problems

Chapter 7

Marital Problems

Duke took in the scene around him. He was in the bedroom, sitting in a chair. There was a chain around one of his wrists with a lock on it. The chain led from his wrist down into a hole in the floor. At the other end of the room was his wife, Manna. She was sitting in what appeared to be a chair standing on its front legs at a strange angle. She was tied to the chair, and directly under her eyes was the barrel of his shotgun. She was locked in place, forced to stare down the barrel of the gun. Duke also noticed that, tied to the trigger of the gun, was a string. Duke wiggled the chain on his wrist, and to his horror, the string wiggled with it. The chain was connected to the string somewhere under the floor. Duke also noticed on the wall behind Manna, was a large question mark.

Duke spoke to Manna, "Manna, are you ok?"

Manna tried to look up and said, "Duke? Oh Duke, thank goodness. Please Duke, help me. I… I don't know what's going on."

Duke tried to reassure her, "Now just calm down Manna, ok. Everything is going to be fine. I'll figure out how to get us out of here."

Manna became worried and said, "Us? What do you mean us? Duke what… are you, trapped too?"

Duke paused before answering, "Yeah. I'm chained up on one arm. And my chain is… attached to that gun."

Manna began to whimper realizing that one wrong move from Duke could blow her head off. Duke then noticed something. On a small table near him, was a knife. The knife was stuck in a piece of paper. Duke carefully moved towards the knife and paper. He gently pulled up the knife from the table. He carefully removed the paper from it, and then read what was written on it.

"Hello Duke. No, this not one of your drunken hallucinations. This is very real. The pain you and your wife will experience is very very real. Duke, you are what some men would call a drunkard. You drink frequently and have at times become so drunk that you have insulted and attacked your wife. Now you shall pay for your sins. As you have probably guessed, the line attached to your wrist, is your wife's life line. Stray too far and she will receive a splitting headache. The key to the lock is within arms reach. You'll just have to use some elbow grease. How much would you give for your wife, Duke? Is she worth everything to you?"

Duke couldn't figure out what the letter meant, but he had to find that key. Since the letter said it was in arms reach, Duke sat back in the chair as he was when he woke up. Duke stretched out his free arm when suddenly he felt a sharp pain in his arm. He recoiled his arm, clutching his elbow. The sudden movement scared Manna, who gasped as Duke moved. Duke looked at his elbow and saw a cut wound on it. It had happened recently, but that didn't explain the sharp pain in his arm. It had felt like something had stabbed him. Duke then noticed very tiny writing on the arm rest of the chair. He looked closely and saw that it said, "Make cut here." An arrow then pointed to a spot on the arm rest. Duke took the knife and slashed open the arm rest, then began to dig into the stuffing. Finally he felt something small and metallic and pulled out a key.

Duke smiled and laughed saying, "Ha ha! Manna, I've got the key!"

Manna smiled and exclaimed, "Oh wonderful Duke! I knew you could do it. Now hurry and get us out of here!"

However when Duke tried to use the key a problem arose. The key didn't fit. Duke couldn't believe this. He tried turning the key over, but nothing worked. The key didn't fit the lock. He sat the key on the table and stared at the lock. Manna began to speak up again, "Duke are you out yet?"

With sadness in his voice Duke said, "No Manna, I'm not. The key doesn't fit."

Manna's smiled quickly disappeared. Duke looked back at the arm rest and began to go through it again, but found nothing. Then a thought occurred to him. Duke laid his arm over the rest the way it had been when he awoke. He then realized that the arrow on the rest wasn't point to a spot on the chair. It was pointing to the cut on his elbow. All the messages became clear. If he wanted to free his wife, Duke would have to cut open his own arm and dig the key out. Duke could see no other way. He stood out of the chair, raised his knife to his elbow, and slashed his arm open. Duke bellowed from the pain, frightening Manna. Duke began to move around, the pain becoming unbearable. His movement was tightening the line, frightening Manna all the more. She began to panic as her husband began to twitch around.

With her voice growing more in panic and volume Manna said, "Duke please! Please stop, calm down! Duke, stop! DUKE!"

But Duke couldn't here her. He had found the key, and was trying to remove it. However he got careless. He ripped the key out of his arm quickly, tearing a nerve on the way out. The incredible pain caused him to jerk sideways. After the sudden movement, Duke's ears were filled with the sound of a shotgun going off. Silence filled the room as Duke held the key he had so painfully fought for. Slowly, the man turned around to see the smoke clear around his wife. Still sitting in the chair was what was left of Manna. A smoking hole was in the ceiling of the room.

Duke unlocked himself, then tore up the bed sheets and wrapped his arm up. He then walked over to Manna, and pulled his shotgun out of its support. He then spoke to Manna saying, "I promise, I'll get who ever is responsible for this."

Duke then went to the closet and found that his ammo was still there. He grabbed as many shells as he could carry and walked down the stairs. Duke left the house, and with his mind only on killing left down the street.


	8. The Effects of Alcohol

Chapter 8

The Effects of Alcohol

Grey and Cliff hobbled down the street, Grey leaning on the pitchfork like a crutch. The two were speaking as they made their way slowly up the street.

Grey's rough voice spoke up, "So, it's all just a game?"

Cliff nodded his head saying, "Basically that's what it seems to be. Or maybe a test. Either way someone has this planned out, and is probably watching us right now."

The two continued until they came to a crossing point on the street. They turned to the right and walked up to the first house on the street, the vineyard. They noticed that the door was already open, and went inside. The innards of the house were a strange sight. All of the furniture was lying on its side, except for one bookcase. There was also a long line that divided the room in half on the walls, ceiling, and floor.

Cliff spoke up, "Well this is weird. I'll go upstairs, you check down here."

Grey nodded as Cliff started up the stairs. Grey looked around the room, trying to find something odd, besides the shape of the room. As he examined the bookcase, he found a piece of paper sticking out from between two books. He pulled it out and read what it said.

"Hello Manna. It can be said that you blame the fact that your child left on your husband and his drunkenness. However you must also be blamed for fueling the fires with your insults and spite. Now if you wish to escape you will have to work together. The key to get you out is very easy to find. You know exactly where it is, just think. However, you will have to guide your husband there. Patience is a virtue, and you need all of it that you can get. Follow your heart Manna, where ever it goes."

Grey started up the stairs to see what Cliff had found and show him the letter. When he reached the top, he realized that the letter was of no use any more. Manna's corpse was still locked in whatever trap she had been in. Well most of her. Behind Manna was Cliff. He was scratching at a large question mark on the wall.

Grey walked over and asked, "What you doing?"

Cliff looked up and said, "I found this question mark on the wall, and Jack got a message about a question mark earlier. I've found that there's a message under the mark and I'm trying to read it."

Grey looked over the rest of the room while Cliff worked. He found a pool of blood on the other side of the room, near a chair, and a supply of shotgun ammo in the closet, but nothing else. He couldn't find any clue as to why the room downstairs was in such a state, either. Finally Cliff finished and the message was revealed.

"Your crops have grown, you should harvest them now."

Grey shook his head, not understanding. He never liked puzzles. Cliff seemed to be in deep thought over the message then said, "We need to find Jack, he is after all the farmer."

The two walked downstairs and out of the building. As they began walking down the street again, Cliff stopped. He then walked over to the storage building next to the house. As Grey joined him, he saw that something was carved into the door.

"Do not open this door for any reason!"

Cliff looked at Grey and said, "I don't know about you, but I'm not going to try it."

Grey nodded and said, "Me neither. I'm not that stupid."

The two walked off down the street, heading for the Inn.


	9. Childs Play

Title has nothing to do with the Chucky movies. There, I'm covered.

Chapter 9

Childs Play

Jack and Lillian walked down the empty street. No noise filled the air, everything appeared dead. As they walked Jack said, "Don't worry Lillian, I'll get you out of here, ok?"

Lillian nodded, but then broke into a coughing fit. Her illness had not surfaced until now, possibly because of her worry over her children. For whatever reason, her sickness reminded her of itself, by attacking her. Lillian fell to her knees, coughing. Jack bent down and tried to help her, unsure of what to do. Finally the fit stopped, and Lillian stood again.

Clearing her throat she said, "Well, it looks like I'm still sick. I guess this is going to slow us down."

Jack simply replied, "Don't worry; I'll help you if it happens again."

Lillian chuckled and they continued walking, Lillian coughing every once in a while. Finally they came to the end of the street, and arrived at the ranch. All of the cows were alive, standing, staring at the two from behind the fence. Jack found this strange; he thought all of the cows would be dead, like the chickens at the poultry farm. Either way the two walked up to the front door, and Jack tried to open it. It opened slightly but something pushed it back. Jack pushed against the door, and with Lillian's help finally got the door to open. He felt something give on the other side of the door, and it flung open. As Jack stumbled inside he quickly took in his surroundings. In front of him, was Barley, the old owner of the ranch. Over in the kitchen he saw little May, Barley's young

grandchild. She was standing on a chair with her head over the stove. Jack could see something was on her face. Barley was tied to a chair nearby. A heart was painted on the floor with the letter M in the middle of it. Lillian rushed over to Barley to try to untie him but Jack shouted, "Stop!"

Confused, Lillian looked at Jack, wondering why he told her to stop. Something wasn't right, the rope that Barley was tied with was strange. Its surface was bumpy, scratchy looking. Jack didn't like the looks of it. He also heard something. He looked over at the stove and realized that it was leaking gas. He probably activated it when he came in. Jack looked around saying to Lillian, "Find something, a clue, a message, anything!"

They looked around and quickly found two letters; one on the fridge, one on the table. Barley tried to ask what was going on, but Jack was too busy rapidly reading the letters to answer.

This is May's letter:

"Hello May. You are probably scared and worried about what is going on. The mask strapped to your face is a gas mask. However, instead of keeping gas out, it will let it in. The mask is hooked to one of two gas pipes in the house. If one is turned off, the other turns on. Currently, the other one is turned on, filling the house with gas. If there is a spark, it will destroy the house. However if the gas is turned off from the stove, your mask will fill with gas, suffocating you. But don't worry May. You shall live, if you don't lose hope. You are a sinless spot in this horrid place, and you must suffer for another's sin. But don't lose hope, it shall keep you alive."

This is Barley's letter:

"Hello Barley. You are probably worried about your young granddaughter right now. Know that it was your sin that brought her here, however. It was you who pressured your daughter to marry a man she did not love, there for driving her mad. Now you are left your grandchild, and the death of your child on your shoulders. There is a way to turn off the gas in the house. Below the house is a duct. At the end of the duct, is a switch that turns off all of the gas lines. However, the duct is small in size. A man wouldn't be able to fit through the duct, and if I were you, I wouldn't untie myself in a gas filled room. However, a woman would easily fit through the duct. Tick tock, Barley, time is your friend, until the end."

Jack understood the message. They had to find that duct and quickly. He was sure that Barley's ropes would spark if untied, judging from the ropes appearance. They had to do this carefully. First Jack checked Barley's chair and found that it was locked in place. Next, he found a lock on May's mask, so he couldn't get it off. One of her hands was taped over a switch on the stove. It was the switch that turned off the stove's gas. That they couldn't mess with. Lillian, meanwhile, checked out the door to the upstairs room. On the door was an arrow pointing towards to the left. Lillian looked along the wall, and came to a large clock, standing on the wall. As Jack was thinking of cutting Barley out of the chair, Lillian exclaimed, "I found the duct!"

Jack looked over, seeing that Lillian had moved the large clock and uncovered a tiny duct in the wall. Jack knew this was the duct they had to enter. He could also tell that only Lillian could fit. Lillian began coughing again. As Jack got close to the duct and looked inside, he saw what was causing her coughing. Several pipes were in the wall of the duct, and gas was pouring from them. The duct was rather short, but he wasn't sure if Lillian could make the trip.

"Lillian, I don't think you can do this." Jack said.

Lillian shook her head, saying, "No, I have too."

Lillian pulled out a handkerchief and held it to her face. She then bent down, and started crawling through the duct. The gas stung her eyes, making the crawl all the more difficult. It was becoming harder and harder to breathe. She finally reached the end of the duct. She reached for the switch, a gas line blasting her in the face. She felt her fingers graze the switch, and she pulled it down. The gas shut off. With the front door open, the house quickly emptied of gas. Lillian slowly crawled out of the duct and collapsed on the floor. Jack bent down, and checked to see if she was ok. Lillian looked up at him and smiled, saying, "I did it."

Jack laid Lillian on a couch, and then began to look for the key to May's lock. Jack examined the grandfather clock and saw the key sitting inside of the face of the clock. He took it out, and unlocked May's gas mask. To Jack's great surprise, he found something underneath the mask. There was a breathing apparatus over May's nose and mouth. A tube led from the apparatus down inside the stove, where there was a tank of oxygen. It was very loosely attached, and if May had panicked and thrashed around, it would have come off. If May had lost hope, she would have died. That was what the message meant.

After Jack was sure the house was empty of gas, he gently untied Barley. Every time a spark flew, everyone stopped, expecting an explosion. After untying Barley, everyone seemed relatively unharmed.

After leaving the house, Jack spoke to Barley and Lillian. Jack suggested that the two of them and May go into the town square and wait there, where it should be safe. They'd also be able to reach the docks easily and escape if need be. Jack, on the other hand, would head to the Inn, to meet with Cliff. They all agreed on this and began walking toward the square. However as they left the ranch, Lillian gasped and clutched her chest. Her breathing grew shallow and difficult. She collapsed on the ground, struggling to breathe. Jack tried to help, but didn't know what to do. Lillian soon became unresponsive to Jack. Jack was panicking. She was dying and he couldn't help her!


	10. In the Inn

Chapter 10

In the Inn

Cliff and Grey came to the door of the Inn. It was the largest building in the town, although it only had two floors in it. Cliff stepped forward and turned the knob on the door. He carefully opened the door, and stepped into the room. All of the tables within the Inn were turned over, with their legs sticking in the air. The chairs were lined along the wall. There was no sound to be heard, except Grey's crutch clanging as he walked into the room. Like last time, Cliff started up the stairs while Grey checked down stairs. Grey looked over the bottles lined on the shelves in the back of the room, when he found one with a letter in it. He opened the bottle and took the letter out, and was about to read it when he heard Cliff shout, "Grey, get up here!"

Grey hobbled as fast as he could up the stairs and went into the first room on the second floor. Standing at the end of the room was Ann, the daughter of the owner of the Inn. The floor around Ann was gone, leaving a giant pit around her. Grey looked into the pit, and saw that it lead to the basement of the Inn. Down at the bottom, were hundreds of broken bottles, sticking in the air like spikes. Another problem was that Ann's hands were chained up. A long chain led from her hands to the ceiling. A jump from where she was to the door would have been difficult without the chain. But with her hands locked up, it would be impossible.

Ann cried out to Cliff, "Cliff, what's going on? Where's dad?"

Cliff shook his head saying, "I don't know, just hold on. We'll get you out of there."

Grey could tell there was no way they could jump onto the platform with her, so he looked back to the letter he found. It was addressed to Doug, the owner of the Inn.

Cliff went down to the next room, where Grey had discovered it to be locked. Grey rammed the door with the pitchfork and entered the room. In the middle of the room was Doug. He was standing in a sort of glass chamber. There was a door in the front of the chamber; it appeared to be the only way out. However there were several vents in the floor of the chamber. Grey and Cliff entered the room, then looked to the letter Grey had found.

"Hello Doug. I'm sure you're wondering why you are trapped in a small room with smoke billowing in. Well, I'm sure you know why you're in there, but how do you get out? There is a door in the front of the chamber. To open it, you must find the key. The key can be found in your past. Your life hangs by the thread that your daughter holds. Can you find the way out?"

As Grey read this, plumes of smoke floated into the room. Doug, who was now coming to his senses, noticed the situation he was in. Grey and Cliff noticed it too, and knew they had a limited amount of time to get him out. Cliff ran back to Ann's room while Grey looked around Doug's room for the key.

Doug tried to open the door, only to find that it was locked. He banged on it before looking at Grey exclaiming, "Grey, what is going on? Get me out of here!"

Grey said, "I'm trying but I don't know how."

Grey looked around the room, searching for the key, while the chamber slowly filled with smoke. Doug was beginning to run out of time and air. Grey found a picture on one of the tables. It was in the frame upside down. Grey opened the frame and found a key behind the picture. He ran to the door and tried the key, but it wouldn't fit. He said, "Hold on, ok Doug?", and ran to Ann's room.

When Grey reached Ann's room, he found that Cliff wasn't there. He was probably downstairs, trying to get into the basement incase Ann fell. Grey then threw the key to Ann and said, "Try to unlock yourself with that key."

Ann did and the key fit. With her hands free she began to look for a way across the pit. She decided to use the chain and swing across. She told Grey to catch her, and readied herself for the jump. However, as her feet left the ground, it began apparent that the chain wasn't made for swinging. The chain didn't support Ann's weight. Just as she began her jump, she heard cracking from the ceiling. In the next instant, the chain detached from the ceiling, and Ann fell into the pit. Upon impact, Ann felt the razor sharp bottles tear through her body. She looked up and saw the bottle sticking out of her shirt and her arms.

Grey couldn't believe what had happened, then he saw something at the other side of the room. A picture was sitting against the wall at the end of the room. The word "past" was written on it. That was where the key was, and now there was no way to get to it. Grey walked back to Doug's room and found that it no longer mattered. Doug had already run out of air and was lying on the floor, dead.

Cliff heard a door break open down below him. He walked back to the pit and saw Cliff walked into the room. He was too late.


	11. Death

Chapter 11

Death

Jack kneeled over Lillian's limp body. She opened her eyes once more and tried to say something, but no noise came out. Finally she shut her eyes permanently. She was gone. Jack stood up and looked at Barley and May and said, "Come on, we should go."

The three made there way into the town square where they discovered writing on the ground. Written in chalk were the words "Read between the lines."

Barley scratched his head wondering what it meant. Jack knelt down and looked for any other writing on the ground. Barley said, "See anything?"

Jack stood up and turned around, chalk dancing around his feet, and said, "No nothing." He then walked about looking for any other message, but the movement of his feet destroyed the message all ready there. After completely looking around the square Jack said, "Nothing. Listen you two should head for the docks. There's a boat there that we can use to leave the island. Wait there. When morning comes, go ahead and leave the island, even if no one else shows up, ok?"

Without waiting for a response Jack left, heading for the Inn. Barley wondered why he was now in such a hurry, but he scooted May towards the docks.

Jack came into the Inn to see Cliff and Grey carrying someone and laying them on a table. When Jack came closer he saw that it was Ann. Her body was slashed up horribly, and there were several shards of glass sticking out of her.

"What happened?" Jack asked.

Cliff looked up and said, "She… fell."

Grey told Jack about the events upstairs while Cliff tried to doctor Ann's wounds. He could tell that he couldn't save her, though. Jack felt sorry for Cliff. It always seemed to him that Cliff had feelings for Ann, but now she was dying in front of him. Ann opened her eyes and looked around before weakly saying, "Cliff? Is that you?"

Cliff nodded his head saying, "Yes it's me Ann. Forgive me Ann, this is my fault."

Ann tried to raise her hand to his face but was too weak to do so, but she said, "It's ok… it's not… your fault."

Jack nudged Grey and gestured to the chairs at the other side of the room. The two sat down in the chairs, then Grey said, "Sad, isn't it? Oh yeah, I know now isn't really the best time to ask, but how did things go with Mary? You proposed to her, right?"

It was true. A few days ago, Jack had proposed to Mary, the town's young librarian. He had done so in the corn field outside his house, since Mary loved corn. But it hadn't ended the way he had hoped.

"She… turned me down. She didn't want to get married." Jack said.

"Oh," Grey said. He patted his friend's back saying, "Maybe someday."

Jack simply nodded saying, "Maybe."

Cliff walked over to them, with a serious look on his face. He then said, "Ann is… dead."

Jack stared at the ground for a moment. Everything was falling apart. Would any of them get out alive? He looked up and said, "So what did you guys find on your way here?"

Cliff and Grey told Jack of their discovery in the vineyard. When Cliff mentioned the riddle behind the question mark, Jacked looked up, almost as if he were surprised. They finished their report before Grey said, "So, now what? Where do we go from here?"

Jack stood up, and began to think. There really was only one rational place to go. The doctor's office.

Back at the poultry farm, Popuri was lying on her bed. The young woman opened her eyes and tried to move, but didn't have the strength. It was growing harder and harder to breath. She closed her eyes once more, before she breathed her last breath. The house was now vacant of any living thing. Only death remained.


	12. Slaughter

Chapter 12

Slaughter

The men walked up the road, heading in the direction of the doctor's office. Death surrounded them now, only two of the people they had helped made it out alive, but they weren't giving up. They'd find the doctor and Elli, his assistant, and get them to fix up Grey and Cliff's burns. As they walked, however, a sound ripped through the dead silence of night. A shotgun blast went off nearby. It came from the supermarket. They rushed to the market to find the door was thrown open. When they entered they saw blood everywhere. It covered the walls and ceiling. In the middle of the room, lying on the table was Sasha, the wife of the store owner. A table saw was spinning inside of her chest. It threw blood everywhere. It had apparently been on for a while. Standing near Anna was Duke, and lying in front of him, bleeding, was Jeff, the store owner. Duke held a shotgun in front of him, and Jeff was clutching a wounded shoulder. Duke looked up at the three new arrivals. Jack stared at Duke, stupefied. Was Duke the mastermind behind all of this?

Jack said, "Duke, what do you think you're doing!"

Duke barely looked at Jack before saying, "Revenge, Jack. Someone killed Manna, and I'm finding out who. I'm sure it was this cheapskate of a clerk, or that worthless doctor. Of course, the doctor got his when that gas or whatever it was killed him. And then that tramp Elli got electrocuted. But it doesn't matter, it serves them right for what they've done!"

Duke had gone crazy. Jack always thought it would happen, but he picked the worse time to lose it. And now the doctor and Elli were gone. This made things worse. Plus, they had a madman with a shotgun to deal with now. Jack decided to try and reason with Duke.

"Listen Duke, I now you're pretty mad right now. But no matter what you think, no one here killed your wife. Everyone here is in just as bad a shape as you. Just think for a minute, ok? Think."

Jack walked closer, slowly, towards Duke, getting sprayed with blood from the saw. Duke had always hated the doctor for asking about his health all the time, and with Jeff for never letting him pay on credit, but this was insane. He was crushing their small chance of escape. Jack tried to get walk closer to the madman, but Duke whirled around and said, "Don't think I won't kill you either farm boy! You're all in it aren't you! No one leaves until I get answers!"

Using Duke's distraction, Jeff jumped at the man, trying to knock him down. But Duke was stronger. He threw Jeff off of him and blasted a hole in his chest. Jeff slumped to the floor and Jack reached for his axe when suddenly the door to the back room flew open. Everyone stared as Karen, Jeff's daughter, stepped into the room, looking at the carnage in front of her. There was a patch of skin on her stomach that had been peeled off. In her hand she held a blood-coated knife. She didn't think about her actions, she rushed forward towards Duke. He tried to reload the gun, but wasn't fast enough. She tackled him to the ground, ramming the knife through his throat. She rolled over onto her back and starred at the ceiling in silence.

No one moved for a moment. Jack looked at Grey and Cliff, who said nothing. It had all happened too fast. In an instant the whole conflict was started and finished. And entire family was dead, all in an instant. It was horrific. Jack then noticed something on Karen's neck. It was his name, written on her neck. Jack kneeled down and looked at it. There was an arrow that led to the back of her neck and pointed to her back. Jack rolled Karen over and ripped her shirt open. Written on her back was the word, "Confess". Jack seemed to think about this for a moment then stood up.

"We have to go. We know that the doctor and Elli are gone. And we can't do anymore here. Let's go towards the library, see if anyone is still alive down there."

Grey and Cliff nodded in agreement, and they walked out of the slaughter house, and closed the door. The saw was still spinning.


	13. Hanging by a Thread

Chapter 13

Hanging by a Thread

The men walked slowly down the street. It was sad; the place where they were most at rest was walking outside. There was no death here. Just stars and quiet breezes. It was like a sanctuary. Jack felt at ease here, outside of the trap-ridden homes. Now that he thought about it, what was his test? Grey and Cliff had to suffer through the fire in the forge, but not him. What did he have to prove? Jack's mind went back to the messages he had found earlier, but he dismissed the thoughts. No, they couldn't mean anything, could they?

The friends arrived at the next house. The house of Elli, Stu, and Ellen. Stu was Elli's young brother, and Ellen their grandmother. Jack carefully opened the door, and slowly swung it open. In the room were Ellen and Stu. Ellen was tied to a rocking chair, and Stu was standing on a stool with a chain around his neck.

Jack stepped in and Ellen said, "Thank goodness you're here Jack. I was beginning to panic. Listen, please help Stu and untie me. Please."

Jack said, "Hold on, first I need to see something." He then looked around the room. Grey and Cliff walked in, helping search for what they needed. The clues to this puzzle. Jack found what he was looking for on the stove and counter in the kitchen. They found the letters.

"Hello little Stu. I'm sure you're very frightened right now. You might be crying, alone in the dark, your grandmother already dead. But you are alive Stu, be thankful for that. You have done nothing to deserve death, and so you are alive. Do not be afraid, Stu, for you have nothing to fear. Do not be afraid. Find your courage, and you shall be fine."

"Hello Ellen. Your sins, though long forgotten, have finally found you again. You're young grandson hangs from a thread. If you cut the thread, then you too shall live. But if you break the thread, then you shall die. Do you love your grandchild enough that you would die for him, even if you didn't have to? The way out is in the last place you saw it Ellen. Remember."

Jack thought over the meaning of the letters. He looked at the design of the trap, thinking. He then saw it. The thread was the chain around Stu's neck. It would seem that if Stu fell from the stool he was on, he'd be hung. But since this killer didn't target the innocent, there must be something more to it. If Stu fell, he'd probably be alright. But what would happen to Ellen? They had to cut the chains and free the two, that was what Jack thought the letters meant.

He looked at Grey and Cliff and said, "Go next door to the mayor's house. See if he's ok. I think I can handle this."

The two left the house and Jack turned to Ellen saying, "Ellen, do you have something that can unlock or cut these chains?"

Ellen thought for a moment then said, "Maybe. My husband had a type of saw that could cut metal, I think it's upstairs in the closet."

Jack nodded his head and said, "Listen, hold on and don't move. Whatever you do, don't either of you move."

Jack went upstairs and opened the closet door. He moved out of the way just in time as a pile of boxes spilled out of the closet. Some of them opened spilling theirs contents on the floor. White powder, needles, light bulbs, these were several of the things from the closet. Jack ignored them and looked for the saw, pricking himself several times on a few stray needles. Finally he found the saw and went back downstairs. Things were going easy for a change. Grey and Cliff came back in, saying that the mayor's house was empty, not even a body. This confused Jack. So far the only person missing was Saibara, the blacksmith and Grey's guardian. He hadn't been at the blacksmith shop and now the mayor wasn't at his house. Jack felt uneasy about the whole thing.

Ignoring his concerns, Jack began to hack at the chains holding Ellen in place. She protested, saying they should help Stu first, but Jack said that it'd be easier to untie her first. Jack cut through the chains, and Ellen stood up and told them to help Stu.

"Alright, but everyone get away from the rocking chair, ok?" Jack said.

Ellen questioned why, but Jack simply lifted Stu off the stool and gently let him hang down. The chain around his neck tightened for a second then snapped loose. Grinding was heard through the walls of the house, and then the floor under the rocking chair collapsed, plunging the chair into the basement, right into a pile of rocks and wood. If Ellen had been there, she would have been a goner.

Jack had been right. He was getting the hang of the game. All he had to do was think about what he told. That's all. He had finally successfully saved someone without any death. They may have a chance of living after all.

Jack carefully cut Stu free and then the group walked out of the building. The moon was high in the sky now, and the stars were dancing through the night. They decided that Ellen and Stu should wait with Barley and May at the docks and leave if things go wrong. Jack sadly had to inform Ellen and Stu of Elli's demise. Then the group split again, three going in one direction, two in another. Jack thought about how peaceful everything was tonight. It didn't matter what awaited him. He would solve it.


	14. Screwing Around

Chapter 14

Screwing Around

Anna opened her eyes, and looked around. The first thing she noticed was her husband, Basil, who was held in a strange device. He was locked in place with two drills in front of him and behind him, pointed at his neck. Anna stood up to help him, and felt something pull on her waist, then snap. She looked behind her and saw a string tied around her waist. She then heard the drills across the room start up. She looked and noticed that they began to slowly move toward her husband's neck. Anna stepped forward towards him, then recoiled in pain. She looked and saw that her shoes and socks were gone, and the floor was covered in glass. Anna looked around for a safe way to her husband and saw a piece of paper on the ground with her name on it. She picked it up out of the glass and began to read it.

"Hello Anna. I want you to look around, and notice that there is no one here for you to order around. You think of your family as your own personal slaves. Now we will see if you care about them enough to give your life for them. To stop the drills around your husband's neck, you simply have to turn them off. I will even tell you where the switch is. It's right in front of you. How long will you scream to save your husband? Oh yes Anna, you will scream."

Anna looked in front of her. The glass covered the entire floor, but in the center of the room was a small hole, filled with glass. Anna realized that the switch was in front of her, inside the hole. Anna looked at her husband, who was still unconscious, and then began to walk to the hole. Anna tried to move the glass out of her path, but there was so much of it, that it didn't make any difference. Anna arrived at the edge of the hole, and kneeled down. She began to push her arm through the sea of glass to try and find the bottom. The glass slashed her arm, cutting into her. Anna began to cry out from the pain of moving her arm around. When she couldn't find the switch she began to hurl the glass out of the pit, panicking more and more as the drills came closer to Basil's neck. The glass was turning red from Anna's blood, there were shards embedded in her arms. She found that the pit was deeper than she thought. Finally she jumped into it, desperate to find the switch. Anna was howling from the rage and pain, scattering glass and blood everywhere. She kept digging for what seemed like hours. Then she heard the drills stop. Anna looked at her husband. The drills had gone through his neck and collided with one another, causing them to break. Anna stood up out of the pit and walked towards the door, then she saw something.

Attached to the door knob was a string that led to the drills. Anna walked over to the drills, not caring about the glass. The string went into the device in a way similar to the string that had been around her waist. Anna pulled the string and then realized that this was the off switch. If she had just opened the door, which had been right in front of her, she could have stopped the drills. She hadn't even paid attention to the obvious. It had been right in front of her all along.


	15. Confess

Chapter 15

Confess

The three men came to the last house on the street, the library. Anna, Basil, and Mary lived here. Jack walked forward and checked the door to find that it was unlocked. He opened the door, and saw that the floor was covered in glass. Across the room was Anna and Basil. Basil was dead, with two drills sticking in his neck, and Anna was standing next to him, with a dazed look on her face.

Jack asked, "Anna, are you ok?" He noticed the blood and wounds covering her.

Anna looked up and said, "It was… so simply. All I had to do… I didn't know. I thought…"

Grey said, "Hey Jack, you going in or what?"

Jack walked into the house, followed by the other two, and looked at the pit of glass in the center of the room. With all the blood in it, he figured that was where Anna had been hurt. Jack walked over to Anna and said, "What happened?"

Anna shook her head and said, "I… don't know. I just don't know."

Grey looked around the room and noticed a letter leaning against a vase. It was addressed to Basil. Grey picked it up and read it.

"Hello Basil. Don't enjoy your freedom for too long. There is still much to do, after all. Such as finding your daughter. She is in a place you should not go into for any reason. All riddles are quite simple once you know the answer. Just take a walk Basil, and you will find her. But remember to think before you leap."

Grey looked up and said, "Hey, I think I know where Mary's at."

Everyone looked up at him and Anna shot across the room saying, "Where, where is she?"

Grey replied, "She's in the wine cellar. That's what the letter's indicating. But before we…"

Anna didn't wait to hear the rest. She quickly ran out the door saying, "I'm not going to lose her like Basil."

Grey shouted, "Wait! You don't understand! Jack, she can't open that door. I'm sure it's rigged."

Jack nodded and ran after Anna, since he was in the best shape to catch her. However, despite her injuries, Anna was a fast runner. She also had a head start on him, too. Jack turned the corner to the vineyard, but he realized he wouldn't catch her in time. Anna was right in front of the wine cellar, and was about to go in.

He tried once more, "Wait, don't do it!"

But it was too late. Anna flung the door open, and for a split second saw an arrow flying at her. Jack saw Anna stumble back away from the door, with an arrow sticking out of her head. Jack looked into the door way, and saw a crossbow at the other side of the room. He knew something like that was going to happen. Jack could only wait for Grey and Cliff to catch up.

When they arrived Grey looked down at Anna then said, "Like I though. Well we going in or not?"

Grey entered the cellar and Jack began to follow him when Cliff grabbed his sleeve and said, "Jack, have you been paying attention? Have you figured out what the clues mean?"

Jack heard the worry in his voice, but didn't know what was bothering him. He said, "Don't worry Cliff, I'm sure we've almost got this thing figured out. I mean you, me, and Grey have come this far, there's no way we're going to be stopped now, right?"

Jack entered the cellar just as Grey started down the stairs to the bottom. He hoped that Cliff wasn't losing it either. Then came a crash from the stairs, followed by a scream of pain. Jack looked down the stairs and saw Grey. The stairs had fallen through underneath him, and set off a spring loaded trap that had sliced him in half. Jack ran to Grey and tried to help him, but it was already too late. Grey was gone. Jack looked down into the bottom of the cellar and saw someone. He walked down and found that it was Mary. She was slumped against the wall, breathing hard. Jack rushed to her and knelt beside her.

He said, "Mary, are you ok?" He gently shook her to try and wake her up. Mary coughed and said, "J… Jac…"

Jack replied, "Yes, I'm right here Mary. It's me."

Mary opened her eyes slightly and said, "Co… con…"

Jack leaned forward, trying to hear her.

"Confess"

Jack felt a sharp pain in his shoulder. He looked and found that Mary and reached around and stuck a needle into him. He began to feel himself go numb. It had been a trap all along! Jack lost consciousness, and fell backwards into darkness.


	16. Game Over

Chapter 16

Game Over

Jack opened his eyes. It was still night out, but he could see traces of dawn in the sky. He was lying on the ground, surrounded by corn plants. He apparently was in his own field. There was something around his mouth that kept him from talking. He tried to sit up to find that his feet and one of his hands were chained up. His other hand was free, so he felt around with it and found his axe nearby. Jack then noticed something coming towards him. It was a light. Jack mumbled to get the person's attention, but he didn't need to, the light was heading right for him. Finally the person came into Jack's view. It was Cliff. Cliff came forward and stopped. Jack sighed with relief that his friend had found him, and began to mumble, "Help me out!"

Cliff stood there with an emotionless look in his eyes, then said in a near monotone voice, "Hello Jack. I told you Jack. You should have confessed. But now it is too late. You never revealed your sin, and now it will destroy you. Aren't these chains familiar Jack? After all you did use them to hold Mary down when you raped her for not marrying you. Of all the sinners in this place, Jack, you are surely the worst. You took away something irreplaceable out of greed, lust, pride, and envy. Your avarice and perversion are the worst in this city. I turned a blind eye to the sins of this place for too long, and I paid for it in the forge. Now you must pay Jack. You had your chance for repentance, but you did not take it."

Jack couldn't believe it. It had been Cliff all along. Cliff turned and began to walk away from him. In rage, Jack hurled his axe after him, but missed badly. As the light began to fade away from him Jack heard Cliff say something.

"Game over!"


End file.
